This invention relates to entertainment systems and more specifically to display housing systems integrated into entertainment systems utilized on transportation vehicles.
Today""s world involves numerous situations in which one is required to endure trips of varying distance and time for both pleasure and work reasons. To accomplish these travels a wide assortment of personal and commercial vehicles including automobiles, buses, ships, trains and aircraft are relied upon on a daily basis. For those individuals not operating the respective vehicle, the duration of the trip provides a captive situation which is often addressed by access to wireless broadcast information, such as television, or viewing pre-recorded information stored on the vehicle for playback during the trip. Such systems are often referred to as in-flight or mobile entertainment systems. With advances in electronics in recent years, with respect to size, cost and ruggedness, such in-flight entertainment systems are commonly found in numerous vehicles.
One drawback to the present day utilization of in-flight entertainment systems, is the maintenance associated with the display or monitor stowage and deployment. In order to provide maximum viewing access, the physical location of the display or monitor often subjects the device to excessive stress, both planar and rotational, when deployed. Additionally, the operating environment of such entertainment systems is often characterized by high vibration and deliberate misuse attempts to deploy or retract the display. The un-commanded deployment of the system display or the failure of the housing of the entertainment system are highly undesirable, yet relatively frequent occurrences in currently utilized devices.
Accordingly, an in-flight entertainment system incorporating a display housing system that secures stowage in all situations including loss of system power.
The present invention relates to an entertainment system for use in vehicular applications that comprises a housing system integrating latches, recesses and stops in a unique configuration so as to minimize un-commanded movement of the display of the entertainment system. A housing assembly having a compartment for stowing the display portion of an on-board entertainment system is disclosed having at least one elongated latch affixed to the internal surface of the stowage compartment having a wedge designed to engage a complementary recess on the display housing. The lever arm is biased and coupled to an actuator device that upon receipt of a command signal disposes the lever arm in a direction of travel away from the display housing, thereby allowing free movement of the display housing to a deployed position. Upon stowage the lever arm is again commanded away from the display-housing surface, allowing the display to enter the stowage compartment and over-travel the lever arm. The lever arm is then released to its un-commanded position, and retains the monitor in the stowed position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for securing hidden display assemblies of on-board entertainment systems, both in routine and emergency situations.
It is a feature of the present invention to incorporate at least one biased lever to engage the housing of the on-board entertainment system stowed display.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an on-board entertainment system having a storable display, with greatly improved non-commanded deployment, as contrasted to prior art systems.
These and other objects, features, and advantages are disclosed in the specification, figures, and claims of the present invention.